You or someone like you
by Serendipity73
Summary: Angst


"Joe?" Frankie yells into the phone "Joe can you hear me?"  
"Oh god, I am going there Frankie." Westlake says as she runs out to her car.  
"The paramedics are on the way Westlake." Frankie says to her, but he is left wondering if dhe ever heard him.  
Frankie went back to trying to reach Joe.  
As soon as Westlake reached the accident scene she saw the defender, which was totally unmarked compared to the telephone pole and the other car. She roughly put her car into park and jumped out, not even bothering to shut the door.  
"Joe!" she yelled as she ran over to the defender,  
only to find it empty.  
"Joe! Where are you?"  
"Mame are you looking for the man who was driving that car?" The paramedic points to the defender.  
"Yes where is he?" Westlake demands "Over there in the ambulance. He hit his head really hard, and had a bolt of electricity hit him."  
"Oh god!" She said as she ran over to the ambulance and got in.  
"I am sorry but you aren't allowed back here." The man said to her "I am going with him to the hospital, he is my partner and friend."  
Westlake pulled out her phone and called Frankie to ask him to get down here and take the defender and her car back to the complex.  
At he hospital she was pacing the waiting room despite all the warning eyes of the other people there. She just couldn't sit down, and wait, she needed to do something. A few moments later Frankie showed up and she just broke down. Westlake couldn't deal with all of this. So she left. Not the best move she ever did,  
but she did it none the less.  
"Westlake, whre are you going?" Frankie follows her down the hallway to the door.  
"I will be back Frankie, just have to get some air."  
She lied, and was extremely guilty about it.  
Westlake went home and packed some bags and was off to her place in the woods. No one knew about this place,  
not Frankie and not Joe, nor Catlett. Her father had left it her when he had passed on. She hadn't been up there in years, but now she felt that she had to get her head on straight about work, Joe and life in general.  
As soon as she got to her cabin she out her stuff in the loaf and went straight out to the lake and sat on the dock. It was beautiful this time of year, and she wondered why she never brought Joe up here to relax and get away from things. Then she remembered Joe saying to her once that he doesn't get involved with people he works with, that he doesn't like to mix business with pleasure. That statement sunk her hopes or ever having anything but a friendship with him. She knew back when he first started there was a definite attraction there, it went both ways, but after what her ex-husband had dome to her she was hesitant to go through with anything. She wanted to make sure it wouldn't just be a one night stand.  
When she sat and watched the sun set she was sure a part of her life she held closely to her heart was also setting and she put her head down in her arms and cried. This was so far from herself, but it had to be done.  
Westlake knew that she had fell for her partner a few months back. She had fallen hard, she knew that the way she felt was reciprocated and returned in the same manner. And that's what made this part even harder.  
Was Joe going to remember her, was he going to remember himself? If a choice had to be made would he pick to be with her? Would he even be able or allowed to return to work? Did she love him enough to go through this with him and help him and herself through this? A million questions went through her mind all at once.  
She thought about going inside to call Frankie and see how Joe was doing, if he was going to make it, but  
  
She wasn't ready to know that information yet. She wasn't strong enough yet. So she went in and made dinner, well what she could eat that is.  
Her days went on like this for about a week. A light breakfast, then out hiking for a few hours, then to the docks to sit and watch the sunset, then a light dinner. If she kept eating like this she was definitely going to lose too much weight. She could tell just after a week she lost almost ten pounds,  
definitely very unhealthy.  
Westlake decided to go back after the weekend and back tot he life she thought she had. Just then her cell phone rang, the first thoughts were that Joe had passed, and this incredible guilty feeling ran through her at that moment. She had never been able to say goodbye, to tell him how she felt about him. Just like her father.  
She answered the phone, it was Catlett asking her to come back because he had a case for her. An uncover case for a group of bank robbers who had been hitting major banks all over the country. Some way Catlett had gotten a hold of information saying that Metro National was going to be hit next. They had to get someone in undercover and fast. The FBI figured it would be easier to get a female in as a girlfriend of one of the robbers. And Westlake was on the top of the list of available agents.  
"Westlake can you come back right away? I have a top priority case I need you on."  
"Yes, I will be back in a few hours. Then I will be right in to see you."  
"Westlake, do you even want to know how Joe is doing?"  
Catlett asks questionably "I will see you in a few hours Sherman." She says and hung up the phone.  
Catlett looked questionably at the phone after she hung up and wondered what was going on between Joe and Westlake.  
When she arrived at Catlett's office she noticed there was a few other agents there, they were in a deep discussion about something, probably the next case they needed her on. Everyone looked up at her and Catlett got up and walked over to her.  
"Westlake, are you okay? I mean you don't really look to good." Catlett says concerned.  
"Yeah I am okay, lets get going on this."  
"Alright, okay see there is a major gang of bank robbers that have been hitting banks all over the country. We received information that Metro National and some other local banks are next."  
"Yeah, and why do you need me?" Westlake asks One of the other agents looked up at here "We need someone on the inside, to gather information and help take these guys down."  
"Alright, lets do it." Westlake says "Cameron, can I talk to you for a moment?" Catlett asks as he pulls her aside, "Are you sure you will be ready for this? I mean you don't have the Defender or the Complex or .." he pauses "Well you know to back you up this time."  
"Sherman if you keep pulling me aside like this, they are going to think I am not competent to do my job."  
"I a just worried about you that's all." Catlett says "Come on lets get going."  
Meanwhile at the hospital "Frankie, how is everything at the complex?" Joe asks him "Everything is fine Joe. Local PD managed to charge the suspect from your accident, and he is now doing a nice life sentence in federal prison."  
"How is Westlake?" He asks "Um, well.." Frankie stutters out.  
"What?" Joe asks as he is just about out of bed.  
"Whoa Joe, slow down, you aren't allowed out of bed yet. Look I haven't seen Westlake or talked to her since the night you were brought in here."  
Joe sits back down and looks down at his hands sadly.  
He wasn't sure why she had left like that. All he wanted to do was talk to her, to see her, to let Cameron know he was okay, that they were okay.  
During the time he was in the hospital he was constantly asking about Westlake, where she was, how she was doing, why she hadn't come to visit him. He had a million questions to ask. He had thought that they were closer than this, he actually thought he had fallen for her big time, he loved her, but just hadn't admitted it to himself her for that matter. He knew the rule he had made a few years ago not to m ix business with pleasure. And with Westlake it definitely was a pleasure to work with her, to be around her, to have her friendship, respect and everything about her.  
"Frankie, I just want to know why, that's all."  
"Why what Joe?"  
"Why she hasn't been here with me. I mean I thought she would be the first person here."  
"She was Joe, after the accident she tore out of here faster than I have ever seen her. I thought it was a bit odd for her to leave as well. I thought you guys were a lot closer and meant more to each other than that."  
After about two more hours of begging, nagging and pushing Joe finally got Frankie to look into her whereabouts. As soon as Frankie was about to leave the doctor came in.  
"Hello Dr. Stark" Joe says "Hi Joe, how are you feeling today?"  
"I am alright."  
"Any flashbacks, headaches, nausea, stomach cramps?"  
"A little when I woke up this morning, and I had a flashback just before lunch."  
"Did Frankie tell you all the updates yet?" the doctor asked looking directly at Frankie.  
"No, not yet, Frankie." Joe says "Well you know Joe, if you hadn't been hounding me about Westlake for the past two hours I would have."  
The doctor walks over to Joe and takes his temperature and blood pressure.  
"He is still talking about Cameron huh?" The doctor asks "Yeah"  
"You should find her, maybe it will cheer him up a bit."  
"So Joe do you want to hear what I have to say?"  
He nods his head yes.  
"Okay the chip they have implanted in your brain has been removed. That would explain the flashbacks and other symptoms you have been experiencing. Anyway you are going to have to make a choice betwee what personality and life style you want to continue after you are released from the hospital. It is going to very hard at times, but you have to choose and stick with it. I suggest you surround yourself with friends,  
and family and keep up with the appointments here to see the psychiatrist."  
"Am I going to be able to return to work?"  
"Maybe Joe, we will have to see about how everything goes first. This is a very traumatic thing that has happened to you. Let's just take it one step at a time."  
After the doctor leaves Joe asks Frankie to please find Westlake.  
"Alright, alright I will try my best Joe. It depends on if she wants to be found or not."  
"Frankie if you can find anyone you can find Cameron."  
With that he was gone.  
About five days later Westlake is in deep cover with the gang of bank robbers. They are a rough group,  
always beating up on the women, especially the new ones that were introduced into the group, just to make sure they were serious about it. She took quite a beating the first night, but was recovering quickly.  
She called Catlett on the phone and let him know the information she had found out already, but never bothered to let him know what was going on other than that. She had to keep busy and work, mostly to forget about Joe, and that wasn't even working. This way of life was slowly wearing her down, and she was afraid of what was going to happen.  
Three days later Frankie finally made it into see Catlett. Well he actually forced himself in to see him. Joe was getting really bad now and Frankie needed to find her.  
"Frankie, what are you doing here?"  
"I had to see you, and this was the only way, sorry Sherman."  
"How's Joe?"  
"He is okay, but getting worse about seeing Westlake and between his flashbacks, I had to do something."  
"Frankie I can't tell you anything and you know it."  
"Sherman you have to give me something, please."  
Catlett slips him a small piece of paper then asks him to leave. Frankie picks it up and reads it then says his good-byes.  
Frankie goes back to the complex, if Westlake needs to be find he can do it. After about a day and a half of looking, emailing, tracking and piecing together of clues he finally fund her in some rat infested hotel the gang was hold up in.  
His next step was to find out how Catlett got in touch with her and do the same. That is exactly what he did.  
It took about two days to get her to say yes, but Frankie finally did it after pleading with her.  
"Westlake is that you?" He asks her "Yeah, what's up Frankie?"  
"It's Joe, and well me as well." He looks her closely "Geeze Westlake you look terrible, what have they been doing to you?"  
"I am fine Frankie, nothing I can't handle."  
"Oh yeah Westlake that's obvious." Frankie says to her. "Let me guess they sent you in without any backup at all."  
"I am fine Frankie. What about Joe?"  
"He has been asking a lot about you. He is nervous and scared."  
"About what, are you going to tell me?"  
"The doctor said that he has to make a decision about his life, he keeps having flashbacks about Payton and his criminal past. At this rate I am not sure we will ever see Joe Astor again." Frankie says sadly "So he needs me there? Why he won't even remember me,  
and I can't do that to myself. It would hurt even more than it does right now."  
"He means that much to you?"  
"Yes Frankie he does."  
"Then go see him Westlake!" Frankie demands "He needs to feel like you care, and right now he doesn't know that. He thinks you hate him, that he isn't good enough anymore."  
Westlake just looks at the tree behind Frankie, her eyes are welling up with tears, this is why she didn't agree to meet with Frankie about this.  
"Look Cameron, I know how you feel about him, and just by the way you are acting now, that hasn't changed."  
"You are right."  
"Look at yourself, you are in to deep in a investigation without backup and you are a total mess.  
You have lost weight, and for you that is not good."  
"Frankie I have got to go before they suspect me leaking information." She says as she looks down at her watch.  
"Looks like they already have." He says as he touches her face.  
"Not that time Frankie" She states as she winces from the pain.  
"Oh Westlake, please get out while you can, we miss you." Frankie states as she gives her a hug.  
"Bye Frankie" and she was gone.  
That night Westlake got out of the hotel without being noticed and made it to the hospital to see Joe for the first time in almost six weeks.  
As she quietly made her way to his room, she didn't notice anyone around her; she was so concerned about what he was going to see on the other side of the door.  
Westlake looked through the door at the sleeping Joe.  
All his cuts and bruises have healed from the accident and he is just sleeping peacefully in bed. She opens the door quietly as she can and pulls over a chair next to the bed.  
"Oh Joe, I am so sorry." She says to him as she gently kisses his hand. With that she sat down and buried her face in the sheets and cried herself to sleep unaware that Joe was awake and heard everything including the muffled I love you that escaped from her. Joe wanted nothing more than to comfort her as much as she wanted to comfort him, but he couldn't move for some reason.  
So he muffled a I love you of his own and went back to sleep. He knew in the morning she would be gone, but having her here was good enough for right now. It was more than he could ask for.  
The next morning he was right, she had left and Frankie was there now reading the morning paper.  
"Morning Frankie" he says a little more rested than the night before.  
"Morning Joe, how did you sleep?"  
"Better, Frankie better."  
"She was here wasn't she?"  
"Yeah last night."  
"What did she say?" Frankie inquires "Nothing Frankie, she thought I was asleep, she cried herself to sleep here in the chair." Joe says as he points to it.  
Frankie goes back to reading the paper for a few moments before the next question comes from Joe.  
"Frankie, you found her right?"  
"Yeah, why?"  
"What is she doing?"  
"Is this twenty questions Joe? Fine, she is working on a case."  
"Which one?"  
"The bank robbery one."  
"Who is partnered up with her, so I can thank them for keeping her out of trouble."  
"Joe, she isn't partnered up with anyone, she is on her own." Frankie mumbles "What?!"  
"Joe calm down, don't worry she can take care of herself."  
"That's not what I saw last night. She looks thinner and she just wasn't the same, although I couldn't see her face, Frankie, there was something wrong."  
Frankie looked back to the paper unsure if he should tell Joe how she looked when he saw her.  
"Frankie, when you saw her, how did she look?"  
"Damn" He said softly "Frankie.."  
"She looked fine Joe."  
"And you are a liar Frankie"  
"Look Joe, she looked alright, considering the stuff she has been through to get as deep undercover as she is."  
"She is undercover alone? Who sent her on this?"  
"Catlett"  
"What? He knows better than that. What happened to her Frankie you have to tell me."  
"She was beaten a few times, and she lost a lot of weight." Frankie says sadly "I am scared for her Joe,  
so I put a tracking device on her when I saw her to make sure."  
"I knew she looked thinner than she did before. And the way she acted, she sat here and cried, that is not like her at all."  
"You are right Joe, I will go talk to Sherman about this tomorrow."  
"If anything happens to her, Frankie."  
With that Joe went into a flashback again, the worst of them all. The doctors arrived shortly after and Joe was put to sleep for the night.  
Meanwhile at the hotel "You went out last night, where did you go?" The guy demanded "You are mistaken, I didn't go anywhere." Westlake said "I saw you, are you calling me a liar?" He demanded as he raised his hand and slapped her.  
The next week Joe was released into Frankie's care.  
The doctor' said that he needed to stay with someone for a bit longer to make sure he was okay and nothing else happened, especially with all his flashbacks.  
"Look Joe I have to stop by Catlett's to pick up a few things before we get back to my place."  
"Alright, no problem"  
When they arrived Joe had insisted in coming in with him.  
"Joe, it's good to see you!"  
"Thanks it's good to see you as well."  
After Frankie got everything he needed Joe asked about Westlake and told him everything she had hold Frankie and himself about the beatings and stuff.  
Joe demanded that he be sent in to get her out and Catlett said no way because he wasn't allowed back on duty yet.  
Instead Frankie and Joe went back to the Complex and used the bug to track Westlake, along with the information Frankie has, it was fairly easy.  
A few days later after their plan had be planned out Frankie and Joe head on over with some extra back up to get Westlake out.  
"Westlake?" Joe calls out to the apparently empty hotel corridor.  
"Anyone here?"  
Frankie goes ahead to the last room on the right, and opens the door a little further than it always was.  
"Joe get over here quickly." Frankie says They search the room and find Westlake huddling in the closet.  
"Oh Cameron." Joe says as he reaches down to give her a hand up.  
She just looks at him, unsure of what to do.  
"Come on Cameron, we need to get you to a hospital."  
Joe says as he picks her up. As soon as he does that he notices that she has lot to much weight over this whole thing. Joe looks at Frankie as he does that his eyes are full of tears of concern for Cameron and hope that she will be alright. Joe sets her in the backseat and climbs in with her.  
She is bat up pretty badly and shaking all over. She hasn't said a word at all since they found her. All hey could pray for was she would be okay.  
When they got to the hospital Frankie and Joe had to wait in the waiting room for Westlake. Joe was pacing over and over.  
"Joe don't worry she is going to be fine."  
"Sure Frankie whatever you say."  
With that Catlett walks in "How is she?"  
"Catlett, you are the one who sent her on this detail.  
How could you do that without backup?"  
"Joe calm down, I wasn't the one who requested her. My hands where tied on this."  
"Look do you have any idea what she has been going through during this detail?" Joe states "No why? All I know is that she was included on the robbery of Metro National for security reasons and some other information about other banks that are next."  
"Well your security reasons …" Joe raises his voice a bit "Joe calm down here." Frankie says and pulls his arm back so that he is standing next to him "Sherman, look the security risk was Westlake, it probably still is Westlake."  
"What do you mean? What is going on here?" Catlett asks "She was beaten a few times when I saw her, she admitted to that much, she has also lots a lot of weight and probably isn't eating right at all."  
Frankie says "We have to get her out of there."  
"I had no idea." Catlett says "She wouldn't tell you or anyone, you know that." Joe says "Okay lets get her out, we have to make a plan."  
Catlett says They all sat down at the conference table for the next two hours and made up a plan that just included a few local PD cops that Catlett was friends with and the three of them, well the two of them Joe wasn't allowed to do anything, mostly because he didn't have doctors clearance and either Frankie or Sherman didn't want anything to happen to him.  
Later at the Hotel "Okay on three" Catlett says to Frakie "One"  
"Two" Frankie says  
  
"Three"  
And they both kick in the door. They scan the room no one seems to be there. So they slowly walk towards the back of the room stepping over cloths, empty pizza boxes, cigarette ashes and butts were everywhere, the place was a total mess and smelled of rotten food and alcohol.  
"Geeze what did we subject her to Frankie?" Catlett says as he looks around the empty room when he hears a noise from the closet.  
Frankie points to the closet and Frankie follows him over to the one side. He holds up three fingers and counts down, then they open up the doors to see Westlake in the corner trying to hide.  
"Oh my god Weatlake" Frankie says as he moves towards her, she flinches in this reach for her and he turns around to Catlett.  
"Get Joe now" Frankie demands "Joe, we need you in here now." Catlett yells from the door and Joe come running in.  
"Joe, she is in here, she won't let me help her."  
Frankie states "Okay, guys call an ambulance will ya?" Joe says as she looks in to see Westlake.  
"Catlett come on." Frankie says as he pulls o n his arm "Let's wait outside"  
"We have to preserve the scene, Frankie"  
"Trust me Catlett I don't think Joe or Westlake have the idea of disturbing evidence on either of their minds. Give them a few minutes to get out then you can have the place to yourself." Frankie tells him.  
When they walk out Joe steps into the closet to reach for Westlake.  
"Cameron, I am here for you." Joe says as he reaches out for her. She slowly puts a hand out to him unsure really.  
"Joe is that you?" she manages to get out softly "Yeah, it's me, come here." Joe says to her as he picks her up and carries her out of the hotel room.  
When he gets outside there is a ambulance waiting to take her to the hospital. He sets her down on the stretcher and lets go of her.  
"Don't leave me Joe." She pleads "I am right here Cameron, I am not going anywhere" Joe says as he climbs in the back of the ambulance with her.  
When they were gone Frankie and Catlett let the forensics team enter the hotel room to look for evidence. It was going to be a long night.  
In the ambulance Joe had to ask Westlake where everyone had gone to so that he could let Catlett know what he was in for.  
"Cameron, you with me here?" Joe asks "Yeah"  
"Can you tell me where everyone went at the hotel? Why you were the only one there?"  
"They went out for food I think and beer." She mumbles out before sleep over took her.  
"Can I use your radio to get in touch with the men at the scene?" Joe asks the driver.  
"Sure, here you go."  
"Catlett listen Westlake said they left for food and beer, they could be back soon. I just wanted to warn you."  
"Thanks Joe, your job is to take care of Westlake.  
That's it, make sure she is okay."  
"Bye Catlett"  
He hands the mic back to the drive and heads towards the back.  
"Can you tell me what's wrong with her?" Joe asks "Well we put her out, it looks like she hasn't gotten a good nights sleep in weeks. But other than that she has bruises everywhere, some cuts and abrasions. And from what we can tell she has lost a considerable amount of weight. But other than that no lasting physical damage."  
They arrived a short time later at the hospital and Joe was pacing outside waiting for the doctor to say he could go in and see her.  
He was so nervous that she was never going to be able to see him again, not be able to work with him anymore. A million things ran through his mind about this moment.  
Again Frankie showed up and found him wearing a nice circle in the waiting room floor.  
"Between the two of you I wouldn't be surprised if they add a new carpet fee to your bill." He says from the doorway "Huh? Oh hi Frankie."  
"Hi Joe, how is she?"  
"I don't know the doctors haven't told me anything as of yet."  
"Why don't you sit down Joe, this can't be good for you."  
"Why haven't they told me anything yet Frankie? I mean its been over a hour already."  
"This looks way to similar to me." Frankie mumbles as he sat down next to him.  
"What was that Frankie?"  
"Nothing, what you are doing now, Westlake was doing the night you had your accident. It just looked awful similar to me that's all."  
  
"Oh, then she was with me, I wasn't imagining it."  
"No Joe you weren't"  
With that the doctor came in looking for Joe.  
"I am looking for a Mr. Astor?"  
"That' me, how is she?"  
"Well she is doing fine, some bruising all over her body, and some cuts and abrasions, but nothing that needed stitches. There was no sexual damage either."  
Joe just looked to the floor when the doctor had said the last sentence, he was really glad that there was none, he had feared that there may have been some sexual damage there, due to everything else that they had put Westlake through over the period of almost eight weeks.  
"Can I see her?" Joe asks quietly "Yes, but she is sleeping now, so please let her get her rest." The doctor said noticing Joe's insistence on being with her.  
After he said that Joe was halfway down the hall to her room.  
"He doesn't want to see her does he?" The doctor asks Frankie "I guess not."  
"You can go in as well if you want." The doctor states "I think I will wait a while first. I feel suddenly very hungry."  
The doctor laughs and walks away as Frankie does he same.  
Joe walks into Cameron's room and he stops at first sight of her in the bed. She looked terrible and so good at the same time. He was so glad, happy to see her, but he wished she didn't have to go through what she did. They should of sent Westlake in with backup,  
not alone.  
Joe pulls the chair over next to her bed and sits down. "Well this seems like quite the role reversal"  
He took her hand and gently lay his head down on the bed and went to sleep.  
A few hours later he awoke to Westlake putting her hand on his head smoothing his hair down and saying something to him he couldn't understand. So he looked up at her.  
"Hey sleepyhead." Joe says "I could say the same about you."  
"How are you feeling?"  
"As the best that I can." Westlake says "Is there anything I can do for you Cameron?"  
She smiles a full smile at him and shakes her head no.  
"Just being here is good enough for me."  
Joe gives her a smile back "Okay"  
"Joe we need to talk about, well everything." Cameron mumbles out "I know we do, but right now you need your rest. I will be right here when you wake up." Joe says as she touches her cheek.  
"Okay" was all she said before she fell back asleep.  
A few more days at the hospital were all that the doctors said Westlake needed before she could go home.  
Joe had taken her back to her place, knowing full well that he didn't want to leave her, he wanted so much more from this, their relationship.  
"Joe look, I have got to get my rest, we will talk tomorrow, we will go to dinner and maybe a movie"  
Cameron says "Okay sure, whatever you want." Joe says "Goodnight"  
he whispers in her ear.  
And he was gone. Joe looked a bit disappointed at her sudden need to be alone. But Joe respected her and her need for privacy so he left. Cameron knew he would be upset with her about this, but she needed to get familiar to get strong again in her own home.  
Joe got back to his place and lay down on the couch and turned on the television. He had been doing better with his flashbacks and headaches these last few days.  
He guessed it was because he was so preoccupied with Cameron and finding the guys who did this to her. Then it dawned on him, he had made his decision, the one where he had to choose between the life he had and the life he had just a short while ago.  
He was making a difference here working on the project, fighting crime. He had to much invested in it, like his friendship with Frankie and his relationship with Cameron.  
Joe almost called her to tell her the news, but figured that she needed this time, so he would give it to her.  
About 11pm he decided to head to sleep, as he was getting into bed the phone rang.  
"Hello?" Joe said groggily.  
"Help me please. I need you Joe" Cameron pleads from the other end of the phone.  
"I will be right there, stay where you are."  
Joe hangs up the phone, and is out the door.  
"Cameron?"  
"Cameron where are you?" Joe says as he is walking through the house "Ca.."  
"Right here Joe" She says from the floor next to the bed. "I am right here"  
"What are you doing on the floor?" He asks as he helps her to the bed.  
"I had a bad dream, I dreamed that they found me and they were here in my house."  
"It's okay I am here now. No one is going to get you."  
"I know, I was just so, so..scared."  
Joe didn't say anything, that was the first time she ever admitted she was scared about anything. Joe was unsure of how to react to this. So he just went with the pace.  
"I am here Cameron, go back to sleep." Joe said as she sat down next to her.  
After about a week of Joe either staying at Cameron's place or Cameron staying with him they finally had their talk they needed to have.  
"Joe, ever since we met, you were brought to work on the project, everything for myself has changed. I think it was the case where I thought you were dead,  
then we had our first dance together." Westlake blushed a little at the thoughts that ran through her mind "And then we went undercover as a married couple,  
I still swear that was a bet you and Frankie had set up." She points to him "But somewhere, I am going out on a large limb here,  
but it needs to be said, I fell for you." Westlake said as she found something very interesting with her hands.  
"Cameron.." Joe speaks up.  
"No, Joe let me finish, please."  
"Okay"  
"Then when I saw the accident, and you didn't know who you were Joe. I was so scared. I didn't know if you were going to remember me at all. And that is when I put up the walls, like I have always done Joe."  
Westlake paused "Every time someone gets close and I think I am going to lose them I put up this wall and I run." She says and starts crying "I didn't mean to run from you, when you needed me most Joe. What kind of partner am I? What kind of friend an I?"  
"Cameron, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are the best partner, best friend I could ever ask for."  
"Frankie told me that the doctor said you had to make a decision on which way your life was going to go. To follow the life you have here with the project and FBI and me, or the life you had before as Payton. Which one is it Joe? Have you made a decision?"  
"Cameron, my being here is your answer. I have already chosen to stay here be on the project, you." Joe takes her hand in his "I can't lose you Cameron I won't do that to you and I won't do it to myself."  
"Oh Joe.." Cameron cups her hands around his face and starts to cry when she gently leans her forehead against his.  
Joe reaches his arms up and rests his hands on her forearms and starts rubbing them up and down.  
"Joe, I love you so much."  
"I love you too." 


End file.
